Adapting to Change? Traditional Knowledge and Water

Pacific Islander communities need to maintain traditional knowledge and practice about their water systems, despite the ongoing legacy of colonial impact, in order to adapt to climate change where its impacts will significantly impact water quality and reliability. Without healthy water systems, Pacific communities will become increasingly vulnerable. Traditional knowledge has a role to play in building the adaptive capacity of islanders to water shortages and in adapting to climate impacts over time. While colonization, belief in God, and loss of traditional knowledge are barriers to effective adaptation, Pacific Islanders across the region are using existing traditional knowledge in combination with other knowledge systems to build resilience to climate change and innovative adaptation solutions. Approaches informed by traditional knowledge enable the incorporation of localized, detailed, and historical knowledge, and experience into contemporary management regimes, which then enable the development of tailored and appropriate place-based adaptation. Importantly, the use of traditional knowledge also strengthens community receptivity to adaptation initiatives.